Unlike most conventional materials auxetic materials expand perpendicular to an axis about which they are stretched. This gives such materials a variety of useful properties. Existing auxetic materials and the techniques for their production, such as those detailed in WO00/53830, face significant problems in producing auxetic materials in a reliable manner and/or on a scale suitable for industrialisation. Additionally such prior art materials are formed from a single material and thus have restricted properties as a result. The present invention aims to address problems with prior art materials and their production techniques.
The present invention has amongst its aims the provision of improved auxetic composite materials, methods of manufacturing auxetic composite materials and applications for auxetic composite materials. Methods of manufacturing are envisioned that aim to be appropriate for industrial scale production or fabrication at a wide range of scales. The present invention has amongst its aims the provision of auxetic composite materials and methods for producing such materials which are reliable in their structure and properties and which would offer a greater range of material properties and uses.